Macular Electrophysiology After Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant in Patients with Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion

Abstract

INTRODUCTION[|]This study aims to investigate functional changes in the macula by multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) following intravitreal dexamethasone implant for the treatment of macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).[¤]METHODS[|]Forty-two patients treated with intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®, Allergan, Irvine, CA) for macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (17 male, 25 female, mean age: 58.4+-10.3 years) were included this study. All patients had a detailed ophthalmological examination, including determination of best-corrected visual acuity, slitlamp examination, dilated fundus examination, optical coherence imaging of the macula and multifocal electroretinography. These examinations were performed in all cases before the intravitreal injection of dexamethasone implant, and the patients were followed with these modalities until six months after implantation. [¤]RESULTS[|]The mfERG changes in rings and effected quadrants were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Implicit times in affected quadrants were 38.74+-3.76 ms and 39.88+-3.63 ms in preimplantation period and were measured as 38.08+-2.66 ms, 38.57 ms in the post-implantation period. Although p wave implicit times in all rings and effected quadrants were relatively shorter, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).[¤]DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION[|]Previous reports with first and third month results showed no significant change in mfERG findings in patients with BRVO in the short term. In this study, although a significant increase in visual acuity and a significant decrease in central macular thickness were observed in six months after Ozurdex in BRVO patients, no significant functional change was observed in mfERG.[¤]

Keywords

• branch retinal vein occlusion
• electroretinography; intravitreal dexamethasone implant; macular edema.